Journey to the centre of the darkness
by Joyandhappiness
Summary: These 5 girls get lost in a cave and they meet the Darkness ... T for mild goriness. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

1:Joey's pov

Any time we go on an "adventure," things never to to plan. On this particular friday afternoon, we were simply walking through the woods … when we saw the cave. So, as always, the phrase "to go walking through the woods," introduced the adventurous side. Naturally, we entered the cave, and, naturally, we got lost.

Inside the cave, it was dark. Very dark. We continued, and the dark grew ever deeper; as if it were taunting us, laughing at our confusion and always creating new traps to lure us into. A few minutes (or was it hours?) passed, and still we had no idea of where to go. I wasn't exactly scared if the dark, but I didn't like it, and I was starting to get a nervous twitch: jumping at every sound, or perhaps having ears that turn every little sound into a dangerous threat.

Unfortunately though, the spiders were not a figure of my imagination. They were big things, the size of your fist, and their eyes were like lasers: red and too bright to look at. You felt like they were burning a hole in your brain, and all your thoughts were pouring out of it, your darkest secrets being brought to the light these spiders were definitely freaks, or at least freakish. Maybe they were psychic! Somehow, the thought of being chased by psychic spiders is not a comforting one, especially as it is dark. A voice in my head begins to whisper: "hungry in the dark, hungry in the … " Now I'm creeping myself out.

"Stop thinking about he spiders," I whisper to myself, "that's the key, don't think about the spiders." Caterina turns round.

"you know, some say the first sign of madness is talking to yourself." she says. I choose not to answer. But then I hear it. A deep grumbling, that rebounds around the cave and fills the dank room with echoes. A feel a lump of terror building in my throat, and the words are out before I can stop them: "Help! We're being chased by mutant juicers!" I stand on something squishy. "And the psychic spiders! I'm standing on them! They're going to eat me! HELP!"

"Sssshhhhhh! You're standing on my foot, and the sound is my tummy grumbling. I'm hungry!" Caterina says.

"Hungry in the dark, hungry in the … " I whisper, and the echoes whisper back. The cave feels very sinister. Before I can finish, Clara interrupts.

"Ok, there is definitely something very wrong with you, Joey." she says.

Great! Now I'm really going nuts. Looking back on it, the comment about the juicers does seem a little silly.

"She's not going nuts," Cara says. "She's suffering from post traumatic schizophrenia. So technically she developing a mental illness called … "

"Going bonkers." Caterina interrupts Cara's lecture, and she glared at her. Not the brightest move, as it is dark.

There was a thud, and a cry. They cry was answered by the echoes with a thousand more, so it sounded much louder than it really was. I immediately think of the spiders. I am about to yell something, but I think I've had have had enough people telling me I am going nuts. I then fall over something … and that something is moving. Have the rocks started becoming mutants, or have the spiders grown? The ball of … em … something cries again:

"My toe is broken into a million pieces! Naomi wails. The echoes agree. "And my back. Thanks for squishing me. We'll never get out of this stinking cave now!" The only voices in the cave that agree with that are, once again, the echoes. We must be in a pretty large cavern for them to be so loud.

I suggest walking as an alternative to her problem, but she doesn't seem to appreciate that, saying how she couldn't walk.

"It's actually very easy. This thing, you see? Well, no you don't, it's dark. The thing on the end of your leg is called a foot. You have two of them! You stand up, that's the phrase for when you are balanced on top of your feet, and your move your leg …" I was interrupted by a yell of: "You stupid girl!" I should really say a thousand yells, for the echoes are still on Naomi's side. The sound fades away into an awkward silence. Clara breaks it:

"Let's play dares!" So that is what we do. I dare Naomi to walk out of the cave, and so our little journey proceeds.

A while later, the wall of the cavern turns a corner. Before me I know there is a lake (I almost fell in), vast, although I cannot really see, the lake seems as as black as night and as still as death. No sound does it make, but as we continue to follow the wall, there is a sound. A sucking sound, not like a river, but more like the earth was drinking the lake. I wish I had a light.

Suddenly, there is a sliding sound, followed by a plop. Plop- why does that word make me go all sweaty? Plop … hmmm … plop. Plop goes - water! WATER! That's what makes things go plop. What could make a plop? SOMEONE FELL IN! The sucking sound is really loud, and definitely not made by something I would want to see any closer. The Someone surfaces, and coughs. Without thinking, I jump in after them. Underwater, I see a light at the bottom of the lake. The sucking is far louder now, and it really does look like the earth is drinking the lake, or like a bath looks like when you are draining it, except multiplied by a thousand. Like this lake is a bath, and I am a speck of dirt. The water is completely lifeless. No plants, no fish, wait, I can see a fish. It does not look like any fish I have ever seen though. Its scales are pale grey, and its eyes are bulging from the years of peering through the dark.

I surface, and look for the person I am trying to help. I see many. It seems like we all had the same idea. I yell for everyone to go back, but the water drinks up my words as I am pulled into the depths. Frantically, I struggle to reach the surface until I think my lungs will burst, but the world slowly becomes black as I fade into oblivion.


	2. Chapter 2: Caterina's pov

**sorry for the loads of mistakes in the last chapter! Please read and review.**

I open my eyes. Then close them, and open them again. I wasn't sure if I had opened them the first time, for the world looks the same both ways. I hear the sucking sound, and quickly struggle to my feet, although I immediately regret it, for the movement sets off a stream of hammers in my head. What happened? And where has everyone gone? For as far as I can see, I am alone.

"Hello?" I call out to the darkness. The echoes repeat my call, and the chorus of unearthly voices have an eerie manner.

"Guys, this isn't funny!" perhaps a small part of me hopes that they will jump from behind a rock and say: "Boo!" It doesn't seem very likely though.

I step closer to the edge of the lake. The huge mass of swirling black water makes me want to scream and run away, but what good would that do, for I would only get myself more lost, and it would not help my friends. No, I have to stay, even though every cell in my body is screaming for me to get out of this place.

What can I do? If they were swallowed up by the whirlpool, there is nothing that can be done. Although I cannot just give them up for dead. Dead. Suddenly it hits me that all of my friends who only this morning were laughing in the woods, could be dead. Gone. And no one would ever see them again. Surely not. Surely they would not have left me alone in the darkness. of they fell in, my fear will have come true, but if not … O! This is so frustrating! I feel a wave of terror wash over me, and I bury my face in my hands. Then the wave of terror turns to a wave of water, water that washes over me as though a shower had been turned on underneath me. I take my hands off my face to try and see what is happening. The wave stops.

I peer into the dark, but the lake is the same as it was before. Did I imagine the wave? I can't have, I'm soaking, but then what? Suddenly I scream: "What is going on?" of course, there is no answer, so I have to work it out for myself. I raise my hand to wipe a trickle of sweat off my forehead, and that's when I notice the pillar of water rising up to the roof of the cavern. This is seriously weird. Slowly, I lower my hand, and the pillar of water lowers with it. I then hold out my hand, and sharply jerk it forward. A wave appears on the water, as if a wind had rustled it. I have the feeling that there is an invisible rock in front of me, and so I am causing the waves, although I am not touching the water.

When I take my hand away and stop the invisible force, I feel drained of energy, like I would had I really been pushing a huge rock. But I have to keep practising this. Again: I raise both my hands this time, pushing on the water as hard as I can. The waves grow steadily bigger, and then a thought hits me. If I can make it windy, could I make it rain? I stop the waves, and raise my hands. I feel really stupid, trying to make it rain. There isn't anyone watching, so why am I embarrassed? No time to ponder over that now though. Now I have to work out how to help my friends. I raise up my hands again, and with my right make a motion that resembles cutting a loaf of bread, although here I was trying to split the roof in the hope that some rain might fall out of it. Nothing happens. I tell myself that I have to believe in me, that nothing will happen of don't think I can do this.

"You can do this," I whisper. Only a few hours ago I had been teasing Joey about talking to yourself. Ironic. One last time, I raise my hands to the roof. And it works.

The cavern lights up with a split-second of blinding white light … could it be lightning? Then rain pours out of a spot on the roof. I smile to myself. I can do this.

This is when I remember the light at the bottom of the lake. I have no explanation for that. It does suggest, however faintly, that there is something underneath the lake. Perhaps a cave? Although if there is something under it, surely it would be filled with water. Unless … there has to be something causing the light, and not something natural, for it was too bright, and too white, almost like an artificial sun. But, if there is a cave underneath the lake, I now have the power to rescue my friends … perhaps we will make out of here alive after all.

First, I have to get another look at the light. I dive into the lake - plop! And swim to the bottom. I stay beside the edge, because I don't want to get eaten by the whirlpool. I extend my hands, and manage to divert the force that threatens to drown me. I don't think I've ever been so scared. One wrong move, one inch too far, and I'm dead. I'm running out of air, so I quickly push up to the surface, but I don't need to go under again, because I saw it. There is a hole in the bottom of the lake.


	3. Chapter 3: Clara's pov

**Hope u like this chapter! Please review and tell me if I should continue! **

When I open my eyes, I don't know where I am. The world is a velvety black, and seems to be completely opaque. The only sound is the thump, thump of my heart, which is getting faster. I reach my hands up to my face to rub my eyes, and find they are covered with something warm and sticky. What could that be? I run through list in my head: mud? Venom of some creature? Or … blood? I try to sit up, and by the mini daggers that start piercing my side, I know my last guess is right.

I cry out, and thankfully, the cry is answered. "Clara? Are you there? Are you all right? Can you move?" I recognise Cara's voice.

"Just about," I say, answering the last question. "But it hurts." A mumble comes from somewhere to my right. I inch my way toward the sound, and find the source of the mumble. "Naomi!" I say.

"Hey Clara." she replies, "Are we all here? Where are Joey and Caterina?" I don't answer that question, because I don't know the answer. I try to stop thinking about what might have happened to them, because the thoughts that are running through my mind are not pleasant.

I hear Cara's voice again. "Clara! Naomi! I found Joey! Come over here! QUICK!" I scramble to my feet, then ask:

"Come over where?" I can't see a thing.

"Just follow my voice," Cara says. I get back down on my knees, because I don't want to run into anything, and start crawling. I stop when something pokes me.

"Is that you, Cara?"

"No it's a spider," I realise she is joking, but only after I let out a scream. Cara starts to laugh, but quickly stops and says: "Here. Look. Or should I say feel?" She places my hand on what used to be Joey's side. I am now very glad that I can't see the wound.

Cara informs me that I have to put pressure on the wound and stop the bleeding, so I push down hard. I hear a cry of anguish, and whisper, "You're awake?"

"I suppose. Unless I'm dreaming." comes the answer. Her voice is calm, but the calmness sounds fake. I close my eyes. I know that I am hurting her, but I also know that if I stop she may bleed to death.

No one speaks for a while, but I have no idea how long. Hours could have passed. Then Cara speaks.

"I brought a backpack. I had my phone in it. The light." She fumbles around for a while, and we all cross our fingers when she produces the phone. But water must have got into it in the whirlpool, for no light comes from the screen. Well, that's the end of that idea.

"What else have you got in there?" I ask.

"A bottle of water, a hanky and a granola bar, and a packet of peanuts." I dont ask for a drink. I have no idea of how long we may be trapped down here, and we have to way of getting food. "I'll take over." Cara says. I get up, and as I do, my nail scrapes the wound. I hear a scream, accompanied by a fiery light. What the …?

There must have been a pile of wood or something in the room, for now there is a ball of fire opposite me. I realise that I can see now, and I know now that we are in a reasonably low-roofed cave, but it stretches out beyond the range of the flickering firelight into shadow. I also see my friends, bloody and bruised, but nothing serious. I then glance at the wound in Joey's side, and immediately shut my eyes and try to forget what I just saw. But that is not an image I will be able to forget very easily.

Her side is transformed into raw hunk of meat, the bone clearly visible, and blood pumping out. I glance at Cara and Naomi. Cara looks like she's about to faint, but she takes her fleece and pushes it hard against the wound. Naomi looks as if she is about to be sick. Joey's mouth is a grim line, and her eyes look pleadingly around. She seems to realise the hopeless situation.

"What was that?" Naomi says. No one answers, because I don't think anyone knows the answer, but our eyes are fixed on Joey. She seems as confused as the rest of us, so we don't push the subject.

"Where is Caterina?" Cara asks. I glance around the cave. I had assumed she was still with us, but in the dark we couldn't see her. I see now that she is not in the cave.

"Perhaps she's still back beside the whirlpool." I say. No one mentions the other option.

Cara is still pushing on the wound. Naomi and I look at each other. I wish I knew what she was thinking. I want to know if she is as scared as I am. Or am I the only pessimist in the room. Caterina is a good swimmer, so there is a chance that she made it out. But we are underneath the whirlpool. I see in my head pictures of red vines and skittles. Why am I thinking about sweets? Now I see my family, all our families. Will we ever see them again? And school … life will go on I suppose. Pictures of all the good-looking boys in our year swim through my head, and I stop myself. I am trapped at the bottom of a whirlpool in the dark and one of my friends is bleeding to death. And I am thinking about boys? These don't sound like my thoughts!

I look back at Joey and Cara. Cara must have a pretty strong stomach to be able to look at the wound for so long. Joey must be pretty scared. She probably knows that it is very likely she will die of that cut. She looks at me. Now in my head I see pictures of the fire. I doubt we will ever find out what caused it.

"Naomi. Your turn." Cara must finally be feeling sick after looking at the wound.

Naomi looks at me, and again I see skittles. What? Why is it that I see skittles every time I look at Naomi? The memories of school that were floating through my head don't seem very familiar either. It suddenly hits me that these memories are not my own. Could they be hers? And why on earth can I see her memories? The fire, could that be from Joey's memory? I am now getting scared. I stare hard at Cara, who looks at me suspiciously, and in my head I see a the wound, and the blood seeping out of it … these are not my own thoughts. But what is going on?

I don't know what's going on. All I know is that, for some reason, I see other peoples thoughts I glance down at Joey, and remember her earlier comment about the spiders. The spiders aren't the psychics. I am.


	4. Chapter 4: Cara's pov

**Sorry for late update! Hope you like this chapter! Please read and Review. **

4: Cara's pov.

"It doesn't make any sense." I say. Clara and Naomi look at me, and I think Joey's eyes roll in my direction. They seem to expect an explanation, so I give one. "Why are we in an air-filled cave? There should be water down here, and there definitely shouldn't be air. It doesn't make any sense." Clara and Naomi consider this, but I'm not sure Joey really cares any more.

I look up, straining my eyes to see what should be a huge mass of swirling water, but whatever I'm trying to see has been swallowed up by the darkness. My gaze drops to the pile of burning … what? I step closer to the flames. I have no idea what it is. How is the fire even there? I look back at Joey. The fire seemed to have come from her. I walk back to her, and quietly ask: "What happened with the fire?" She looks sadly at me, then answers:

"How would I know?"

"You don't have to lie to me." I say. She sighs, then holds out her hand. She then pokes her wound with her nail. I hear a gasp, but I am more preoccupied with the flame that suddenly shoots out of her hand.

"It just happens." She says. I don't know what to think. When Joey suffers from pain, fire shoots from her hand.

"Can you make the fire come even when you're not in pain?" I ask. She shrugs. I have mixed feelings about this. For one thing, we have light, and some form of defence. For another, I'm not really sure I want to go round with someone who only has to raise their hand to kill me. "Try and do it without having to … you know." I say. Joey doesn't reply, but she lifts up her hand to the roof and closes her eyes. The room lights up when a stream of fire projects from her hand. Fear creeps over me, but this is a mystery that has to be solved. When the fire stops, Joey lays her hand on the ground, smiles, and falls asleep.

The cave is now covered with little fires. I start to wonder what happened to Caterina. I stand up, and yell: "CATERINA!"

"Please tell me if you're going to do that again." Naomi says, and I hear sounds of agreement from Clara.

"I'm going to look for her." I say, even though I know that to leave the light would be very stupid. I to at least try.

I walk towards the edge of the light, knowing that to step beyond it could be the worst decision I ever make, but I have a feeling that we are not the only things living in this cave.

I glance back at my friends. Naomi is sitting on the ground dozing, and Clara is watching over Joey, although the bleeding has lessened considerably. Joey is still sleeping, and Clara looks quite bored. I know if I stop for too long then I shall come up with a thousand reasons for why I should not do this, so I start. No sooner have I stepped into the dark than I hear it.

The sound is almost inaudible, but there is no mistaking it. A great booming, that makes me feel like I am on the inside of a drum. The whole cave shakes, so I feel rather than hear it. My heart starts to hammer against my ribcage, as if it heard the noise and wants to escape. I have to force myself to keep going. Whatever is making that sound cannot be a good thing, but I want to know what it is.

As I slowly make my way further and further away from the light, I start to realise how stupid I was to leave my friends without a light and without telling them where I was going. The whole point in this adventure was to see what lurks in the shadows beyond the light, but now I realise that you cannot see without light.

What should I do? I need a light in the dark. I look at my friends, gathered around the fire. Then I smile. Light? I have all the light I need.

I run back, and kneel beside Joey. I shake her awake. "Joey!" I say. She looks at me.

"Hmmm?" She mumbles.

"We need to find Caterina, and see all of this cave."

"Uh-huh."

"But it's dark."

"Good observation, Sherlock."

"You make light!" Now I've got her attention.

"I won't be able to walk very far." she says.

"We have to try." She won't be able to walk very far, for although the wound is no longer bleeding, she lost a lot of blood.

She struggles to her feet. Naomi and Clara are both looking at me like I've got some sort of plan. Joey walks out in front of me, then, as she reaches the edge of the light, holds out her hand, palm up. She closes her eyes. In her palm, a ball of fire is growing. She then opens her eyes and starts walking forward.

A day could have passed and we might not have noticed, except for the growling hunger in our stomachs. Day could pass into night, then back to day. The darkness would not have shifted. The only sounds are the sounds of soft feet padding along a stone passage, four people breathing, and the strange drumming in the deep. The sound has grown less menacing as we have grown used to it, but I still wonder what could make it.

We come to a crossroads. One way continues on in a straight direction, the other is to my left, and as far as I can see, slopes downward. The adventurous part of me tells me take the left road. The sensible part says to back. "Let's go left." I say. No one objects, so down we go. Perhaps a few minutes later, I realise that Clara and Naomi are missing. I am about to call out to them, but a cracking sound stops me. I realise I am walking on wood rather than stone, and suddenly the light snaps out. But I saw it. A boy standing in front of me, a boy with instead of one of his hands … a whip. His cold blue eyes glinting in the firelight. He steps forward, boom, boom. The wood must be over a pretty large space to make such a loud noise. Again, I hear the whip crack. I saw him all right. And more importantly, he saw me. He knows where I am, and I cannot see the way back. I am trapped. He is coming.


End file.
